10 Critically Acclaimed Films You Never Realised Bombed At The Box Office

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 94%

Budget: $6.9 Million

Box Office: $7.9 million

Dazed and Confused will be 23 this September, and Richard Linklater’s heady high school classic seems to become embedded more deeply in popular culture with every passing year. Constantly lauded by critics and fellow filmmakers (Quentin Tarantino named it as his favourite film from the 1990s and the tenth best movie of all time), the movie failed to make a real impression at the first time of asking.

Dazed grossed just $7.9 million from a budget of $6.9 million, which, after marketing costs, represented a loss for Gramercy Pictures, whom by Linklater's own admission were sketchy about the project from the beginning. But despite a disappointing opening weekend that brought in just $918,127, the film turned out to be a real slow burner, reflecting American culture so well that it eventually became a part of it.

The picture might have actually had a shot at making a profit back in 1993 had Linklater not insisted on paying for the rights to use the songs of his choice, which cost in excess of a million dollars. His decision was justified, however, with the music becoming an essential part of the Dazed and Confused viewing experience.

Despite being unable to convince Led Zeppelin to allow their music to be used, Linklater got the thumbs up from KISS, Black Sabbath, and Alice Cooper, all of whom contributed to a soundtrack that places high on every self-respecting all-time top 100 list.